His real exit from college basketball might not've been so glorious, but the last time Eric Hayes put on a Maryland uniform, he was a champion. And yes, that was way too melodramatic, but I don't care.
Hayes was at the Final Four festivities for the 3-Point Shooting Contest today, and took home the title in dramatic fashion. After wiping the floor with the competition in the first two rounds (he didn't miss a shot in the first round until the third rack) he beat Cornell's Ryan Wittman in the final round on his last shot. He then faced off against the women's winner, and took that competition by one as well. And with that, he leaves College Park a winner.
Interestingly enough, Gary Williams was there, and looked about as happy as he did when Maryland won the natty back in '02 - seriously, he might've jumped in the air after Hayes hit the final shot. Entirely unexpected. Maybe he was enjoying the Indianapolis nightlife. I think Rob Ehsan was there, and was similarly pumped.
Of course, this really didn't surprise anyone. Hayes is a shooter's shooter, with perfect form. And yes, maybe it proved he wasn't quite aggressive enough during his stay, but I don't really care about the past. Hayes has perfect form, and it was great to see it one last time.
So celebrate, everyone, or at the very least crack a smile. We got ourselves a winner on our hands.